This page lists bestselling China books, defined as any English-language book on or from China that was published by in the last year, and which ranks in the top 15 in its category when ordered by its overall bestseller rank on Amazon. We update this list on the first Thursday of every month. If you believe we have missed a book that might make the ranking, please contact us with the publisher and Amazon link. Please note that rankings are not final, only an indication of Amazon sales, which do not incorporate other editions or point-of-sale purchases. Blurbs by Taili Ni, Olivia Bennett and Kaitlyn Wells.
Overall Bestsellers
Mao’s America
A Survivor’s Warning
Xi Van Fleet
A survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China makes a case that history is repeating itself in the 'Woke Revolution' of America
BuyInvitation to a Banquet
The Story of Chinese Food
Fuchsia Dunlop
An exploration of the history, cultural significance and irresistible flavors that define Chinese cuisine, by a chef trained in Sichuan province
BuyMade in Taiwan
Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation
Clarissa Wei
An in-depth cookbook that celebrates Taiwan's unique culture and cuisine
BuyEverything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant
Curtis Chin
A memoir that takes readers on a nostalgic journey intertwininh personal experiences, cultural identity and the lessons learned in Chinese restaurants
BuyThe Loom of Time
Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China
Robert D. Kaplan
An exploration of the Greater Middle East, where lasting stability has often seemed just out of reach but may hold the key to the shifting world order of the twenty-first century
BuyParty of One
The Rise of Xi Jinping and China's Superpower Future
Chun Han Wong
A journalistic work that narrates and analyzes the rise of Xi Jinping and China's superpower future
BuyThe New China Playbook
Beyond Socialism and Capitalism
Keyu Jin
An analysis of socialism and capitalism, providing a fresh perspective on China's evolving economic and political landscape
BuyBattlefield Cyber
How China and Russia are Undermining Our Democracy and National Security
William J Holstein, Michael McLaughlin
An investigation that analyzes the onslaught of Chinese and Russian cybersecurity threats that target vulnerabilities in American IT systems
BuySovereign Funds
How the Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions
Zongyuan Zoe Liu
An in-depth analysis that reveals how the Chinese Communist Party strategically uses sovereign funds to fuel its global ambitions
BuyThe Indictment
Prosecuting the Chinese Communist Party & Friends for Crimes against America, China, and the World
Frank Gaffney, Dede Laugesen
A Reaganesque strategy for countering the Chinese Communist Party's bid for global dominance
BuyThe Rise and Fall of the EAST
How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline
Yasheng Huang
A history of China’s relationship between stability, diversity and prosperity, and how its current leadership threatens this delicate balance
BuyAsian Americans in an Anti-Black World
Claire Jean Kim
An exploration of the experiences of Asian Americans within the context of an anti-Black society
BuyChoosing to Be Simple
Collected Poems of Tao Yuanming
Bill Porter
A bilingual collection of over 160 verses chronicling Tao Yuanming's path from civil servant to reclusive poet during the Six Dynasties period (220-589)
BuyDaoist Master Changchun’s Journey to the West
To the Court of Chinggis Qan and Back
Li Zhichang (tr. Ruth W. Dunnell, Stephen H. West, Shao-yun Yang)
An annotated translation of all of Qiu Chuji's poems
BuyBestselling Politics Books
Battlefield Cyber
How China and Russia are Undermining Our Democracy and National Security
William J Holstein, Michael McLaughlin
An investigation that analyzes the onslaught of Chinese and Russian cybersecurity threats that target vulnerabilities in American IT systems
BuySovereign Funds
How the Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions
Zongyuan Zoe Liu
An in-depth analysis that reveals how the Chinese Communist Party strategically uses sovereign funds to fuel its global ambitions
BuyThe Indictment
Prosecuting the Chinese Communist Party & Friends for Crimes against America, China, and the World
Frank Gaffney, Dede Laugesen
A Reaganesque strategy for countering the Chinese Communist Party's bid for global dominance
BuyThe Rise and Fall of the EAST
How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline
Yasheng Huang
A history of China’s relationship between stability, diversity and prosperity, and how its current leadership threatens this delicate balance
BuyDigital Empires
The Global Battle to Regulate Technology
Anu Bradford
An exploration of the rivalry between the three dominant digital powers–the US, China, and the European Union–and how that rivalry will shape the future of digital society
BuyBeijing Rules
How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World
Bethany Allen
Nonfiction revealing the ways in which China has strategically wielded its economic power to assert dominance on the global stage
BuyWaiting to Be Arrested at Night
A Uyghur Poet's Memoir of China's Genocide
Tahir Hamut Izgil
A memoir providing a firsthand account of the Uyghur community's suffering and persecution in China
BuyChina’s New Navy
The Evolution of PLAN from the People's Revolution to a 21st Century Cold War
Xiaobing Li
Tracing the evolution of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) by examining its adaptation, modernization, and setbacks in the past sixty years
BuyXi Jinping
The Hidden Agendas of China's Ruler for Life
Willy Lam
An examination of the policy, ideology and politics of Xi Jinping
BuyAccidental Conflict
America, China, and the Clash of False Narratives
Stephen Roach
An analysis of how misguided rhetoric holds a mirror up to domestic insecurities that have escalated US-China tensions within the past decade
BuyRecentering Pacific Asia
Regional China and World Order
Brantly Womack
A study of China's role in the Asia Pacific and how US-China competition plays out in the region
BuySeeking Truth and Hiding Facts
Information, Ideology, and Authoritarianism in China
Jeremy L. Wallace
An analysis that scrutinizes the use of quantification in maintaining Mao Zedong's regime, and why Xi Jinping has strove to undo this approach
BuyChina Incorporated
The Politics of a World Where China is Number One
Kerry Brown
A history that unveils the intricate power dynamics and political landscape in a world where China reigns supreme
BuyThe East is Still Red
Chinese Socialism in the 21st Century
Carlos Martinez
An analysis of Chinese socialism in the 21st century, examining its enduring influence and impact on the country's development
BuyBestselling History Books
The Loom of Time
Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China
Robert D. Kaplan
An exploration of the Greater Middle East, where lasting stability has often seemed just out of reach but may hold the key to the shifting world order of the twenty-first century
BuyThe Peking Express
The Bandits Who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China
James Zimmerman
A true story that follows a group of bandits who stole a train, shocked the West, and disrupted the Republic of China
BuyMott Street
A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming
Ava Chin
A history of the Chinese Exclusion Act through an intimate portrayal of one family’s epic journey to lay down roots in America
BuyFortune’s Bazaar
The Making of Hong Kong
Vaudine England
A comprehensive history of the birth of Hong Kong and its transformation into a global financial hub
BuyShadow Empires
An Alternative Imperial History
Thomas Barfield
A historical exploration of 'counterempires', revealing the impact and enduring legacies of these states, and how they shaped the course of world events
BuyChina After Mao
The Rise of a Superpower
Frank Dikötter
An investigative history that uses untouched archives to reveal the rocky road on which China's rapid economic transformation unfolded
BuyChina and Russia
Four Centuries of Conflict and Concord
Philip Snow
A history of the relationship between China and Russia, from the seventeenth century to the present
BuyChen Hansheng
China’s Last Romantic Revolutionary
Stephen R. MacKinnon
A portrait of Chen Hansheng, a pioneer of modern Chinese social science and political operative
BuyDaughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden
Two Sisters Separated by China's Civil War
Zhuqing Li
A narrative of two sisters separated by China's Civil War, drawing readers into their personal journey amidst a turbulent era
BuyOh My Mother!
A Memoir in Nine Adventures
Connie Wang
A memoir of adventures that recount personal experiences and poignant moments of self-discovery as an Asian-American
BuyVictorious in Defeat
The Life and Times of Chiang Kai-shek
Alexander V. Pantsov, trans. Steven I. Levine
A biography of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, one of the 20th century’s most powerful and controversial figures
BuyThe Opium Queen
The Untold Story of the Rebel Who Ruled the Golden Triangle
Gabrielle Paluch
Literary nonfiction about a Burmese opium-pioneer who secretly ran an anti-communist rebel army supported by the CIA
BuyImprobable Diplomats
How Ping-Pong Players, Musicians, and Scientists Remade US-China Relations
Pete Millwood
A study that emphasizes the role of civilian interactions between atheletes, scientists and artists in the era of China-US rapprochement
BuyMoney Machine
A Trailblazing American Venture in China
Weijian Shan
The chronicle of a groundbreaking American venture in China that reshaped its economic landscape and business relations
BuyA New World is Possible
The Modernization of China
Yu Jiang
A historical overview and theoretical analysis of China’s modern history from 1949 to 2019
BuyBestselling Society/Culture Books
Mao’s America
A Survivor’s Warning
Xi Van Fleet
A survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China makes a case that history is repeating itself in the 'Woke Revolution' of America
BuyInvitation to a Banquet
The Story of Chinese Food
Fuchsia Dunlop
An exploration of the history, cultural significance and irresistible flavors that define Chinese cuisine, by a chef trained in Sichuan province
BuyMade in Taiwan
Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation
Clarissa Wei
An in-depth cookbook that celebrates Taiwan's unique culture and cuisine
BuyEverything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant
Curtis Chin
A memoir that takes readers on a nostalgic journey intertwininh personal experiences, cultural identity and the lessons learned in Chinese restaurants
BuyAsian Americans in an Anti-Black World
Claire Jean Kim
An exploration of the experiences of Asian Americans within the context of an anti-Black society
BuyDaoist Master Changchun’s Journey to the West
To the Court of Chinggis Qan and Back
Li Zhichang (tr. Ruth W. Dunnell, Stephen H. West, Shao-yun Yang)
An annotated translation of all of Qiu Chuji's poems
BuyA Stone Is Most Precious Where it Belongs
A Memoir of Uyghur Exile, Hope, and Survival
Gulchehra Hoja
A memoir that gives insight into the lives of Uyghurs as their culture is systematically destroyed in China
BuyOrphan Bachelors
A Memoir
Fae Myenne Ng
A memoir that weaves together the history of one family in San Francisco's Chinatown
BuyPleasure of Thinking
Wang Xiaobo, trans. Yan Yan
A work of literary nonfiction by the Chinese essayist that explores the joy and fulfillment found in the act of thinking itself
BuyOn the Edge
Feeling Precarious in China
Margaret Hillenbrand
An exploration of a vast underclass of Chinese workers who exist in a state of dehumanizing exile from the law and its safeguards
BuyThe Dean of Shandong
Confessions of a Minor Bureaucrat at a Chinese University
Daniel A. Bell
A personal account of Chinese academia and what it reveals about China’s political system
BuyChina’s Next Act
How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China's Rise and the World's Future
Scott M. Moore
A scholarly analysis offering a forward-looking perspective on how sustainable practices and technological innovation are reshaping China's ascent and influencing the world
BuyIn the Footsteps of Du Fu
China's Greatest Poet
Michael Wood
A history of the Chinese poet Du Fu that looks at the places that inspired his poetry
BuyOut of the Gobi
My Story of China and America, Revised Edition
Weijian Shan
A memoir that chronicles the author's personal journey and the intertwining of China and America in his life
BuyFar From the Rooftop of the World
Travels Among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents
Amy Yee
A travel narrative telling the stories of Tibetans in exile
BuyBestselling Fiction Books
Heart Sutra
Yan Lianke (tr. Carlos Rojas)
A novel set at a religious training center in Beijing, by one of China's pre-eminent literary writers
BuyLady Tan’s Circle of Women
A Novel
Lisa See
A novel that weaves a captivating tale of power, love and sisterhood in ancient China
BuyWe Measure the Earth with Our Bodies
A Novel
Tsering Yangzom Lama
A novel about a Tibetan family's journey through exile
BuyGhost Music
An Yu
A novel that weaves symbolism into a contemporary Beijing woman's family entanglements and surreal encounters
BuyGhost Town
Kevin Chen, trans. Darryl Sterk
A mystery that moves through time and continents to trace the truth of a Taiwanese gay man caught up in murder and his estranged family that has fallen apart
BuyBeijing Sprawl
Xu Zechen (tr. Eric Abrahamsen, Jeremy Tiang)
Short stories that offer insightful perspectives on urban sprawl and its impact on the transformation of Beijing
BuyMurder in Manchuria
The True Story of a Jewish Virtuoso, Russian Fascists, a French Diplomat, and a Japanese Spy in Occupied China
Scott D. Seligman
A cold-case thriller and social history exploring an unsolved murder case set in China during the run-up to World War II
BuyA Past Unearthed
Return of the Condor Heroes Volume 1
Jin Yong (tr. Gigi Chang)
A novel that takes readers on an epic journey filled with ancient legends, kung fu, and a transformative quest
BuyDear Chrysanthemums
A Novel in Stories
Fiona Sze-Lorrain
A novel about Asian women who reckon with the past, violence, and exile, set in Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Paris and New York
BuyThe Piano Tuner
A Novel
Chiang-sheng Kuo trans. Howard Goldblatt, Sylvia Li-chun Lin
A novel that delves into secrets, love, grief and the sheer power of music through the tale of a widowed piano tuner with a prodigious past
BuyEmbodying Xuanzang
The Postmortem Travels of a Buddhist Pilgrim
Benjamin Brose
An imaginative tracing of the postmortem travels of Xuanzang, an accomplished and consequential monk
BuyThe Age of Goodbyes
Li Zi Shu (tr. YZ Chin)
A novel that crafts three storylines bound together by women, literature and society in the aftermath of Malaysia's 1969 race riots
Buy